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Thursday, 9 April 2015

The Vintage Guide To Love and Romance by Kirsty Greenwood

Jessica Beam is a fun-loving, no-strings-attached kind of girl. Partying, pear cider and fantastic sex are her favourite pastimes, but her reckless behaviour lands her in trouble and she finds herself homeless and jobless. With no family to fall back on, Jessica tracks down her long-lost grandmother, Matilda.

Matilda Beam isn't quite sure what to make of her granddaughter. With her old-fashioned values, Matilda is shocked by Jessica's loose morals. Matilda was a once-famous author of numerous Good Woman guides back in the 1950s and the pair decide to revive these guides to see if the traditional rules can transform Jessica into a modest, virtuous young lady.

After loving Kirtsy Greenwood's debut novel Yours Truly, I was eagerly awaiting the publication of The Vintage Guide To Love and Romance and it was well worth the wait. The book is such a fun, laugh-out loud read that is full of energy and warmth and the odd bit of cheekiness. Jessica is a brilliant character and I warmed to her immediately. She is in no way perfect, but her flaws only made me like her more. Jess drinks too much and can't commit to anything other than her cat, but she is such a vibrant character that I could forgive her anything (even showing up in a onesie in public). Her outlook on life is hilarious and the girl can swear like a trooper (a good trait, in my opinion).

But the book isn't just about Jess. Let's not forget Matilda, Jess's sweet but super-ambitious grandmother, Jess's new BFF Peach and the uber-bitch Summer. A good book needs someone you can really root for (Jess, in this case), but a villain is also a welcome touch, someone you can root against just as strongly and Summer fit the bill perfectly. Then, as all good books should have, there is the love interest and The Vintage Guide To Love and Romance has two on offer!

The Vintage Guide To Love and Romance is full to the brim with wit and swears and pear cider and I absolutely loved it. Seriously. It's a good, old-fashioned (quite apt when you think about it) romantic comedy that is both hilarious and touching. It's only the very beginning of April but I can already see the book being firmly in my top ten reads of 2015.﻿ I really can't recommend the book enough and I'm itching to find out what Kirsty Greenwood has in store for us next.